His new business venture, Lazy Cat Pottery and Tileworks, in the heart of Oamaru's historic precinct, opens seven days a week and he also works as a nurse at Oamaru Hospital two nights a week.
The gallery and studio opened in the former Sumpters Exchange building in Harbour St in November.
Mr Tessier-Varlet, a ceramicist and specialist tile-maker, has about 20 years' experience in ceramics.
He worked in the UK and France before bringing his family to New Zealand.
He and his wife, Tracy, and their children, lived in Cambridge before moving to North Otago about three years ago.
"I felt [Oamaru] was a place on the up and I still think it is."
Mr Tessier-Varlet believes the historic precinct is "accelerating" and now attracts a constant stream of tourists, along with a "good smattering of Oamaruvians".
He said he looked forward to the day when there was something interesting happening in all the buildings.
The Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust had been very supportive and he was pleased he could work from the premises while they were also open to the public.
The gallery sells a wide selection of New Zealand-made contemporary art and craft.
About 90% of the shop fittings are recycled.
Mr Tessier-Varlet discovered tiles were the one product tourists consistently bought when he was living in France - the reason was that they were easy to take home.
It was difficult to sell large ceramic urns to people travelling thousands of kilometres, he said.
The ceramicist works "from scratch", buying raw Otago clay, making his own glazes and coming up with the designs.
"Glaze is my real thing.
"Tiles definitely allow you to really play with glaze," he said.
Mr Tessier-Varlet is awaiting the arrival of a digital ceramic printer, due from the United Kingdom by the end of January.
